Take a little time to slow down, stare off into the horizon and ask, "Why?"

We stare at words all day long. While reading. Writing. Driving. It starts with the back of the shampoo bottle in the shower and ends with the book on your pillow. Most words we naturally process and move on without a great deal of thought. Yet as mission-driven leaders, there's a key word that we ought to spend a lot more time wrestling with. Both for ourselves and our organizations.

Why?

That's it. A single word. Three little letters: W-H-Y.

Ultimately, we all have to ask ourselves why we're doing everything we are doing. An entrepreneur must answer, "Why did I start this business?" A business leader must answer, "Why do we do what we do every day?" An organization leader must ask, "Why does our organization exist?" Every leader must ask, "Why was I gifted the way I was gifted? Why do I do what I do? Why do I go to work every day?"

If it's been awhile since you asked yourself a question that began with the word, "why?" perhaps today is the day to start looking yourself in the mirror and asking the question. Take a little time to slow down, stare off into the horizon and ask, "Why?"

You're a great leader.

You are a part of a great organization.

Why do you do what you do? It's a question only you can answer. Go do that.